Allegiant Air

[BraveMom3]

Does anyone have experience flying Allegiant Air. I'm considering flying to WDW in December for the first time since their fare is so reasonable - only about $100 more than it costs for me and my three children to drive.

 

[Allison]

I have used them 3 times and have the 4th trip scheduled. We really like flying Allegiant because it is the only direct flight. We have had no problems at all and will continue to use them whenever we can. The Sanford airport is tiny which makes it very easy to get in/out.

The only negative is you will need a rental car or a car service to get from Sanford to Disney.

 

[BraveMom3]

Thanks for the reply. Being somewhat of a control freak and used to always having my car, I'm not sure I will be comfortable without one. That said, I can rent one for about the same as a car service will cost for round trip. That is probably what I will do, and then we can take our time getting groceries whenever we feel like going. I am also planning on possibly going to an off-site event, which would be extra transportation cost.

 

[rie'smom]

I'm planning to fly Allegiant in November when I take my 13 yo and her friend to WDW. We live in Thibodaux,LA which is 45 minutes from the New Orleans airport. However,I'll save about 250.00/ticket if I drive the 2 1/2 hours to Gulfport. I'd rather spend the extra 750.00 for fun.
Oh and you can book a rental car for a very good rate at the same time you book your flight!

 

[DisneyJimbo]

My family and I have flown with Allegiant to the Orlando Sanford airport twice in the past couple of months.

We had the same experience that Allison mentioned above -- no problems whatsoever. We would fly with them again in a heartbeat.

 

[ColleenLovesMinnie]

We flew non-stop last year on Allegiant and had no problems at all - the flights were on time, the service was great, and we loved flying into the smaller Sanford Airport. It was a breeze checking in and out. Unfortunately Allegiant no longer flies out of Newburgh, NY so we are trying JetBlue this Aug. The only thing I would check into is if they are charging additional fees for checked baggage - they did not when we flew them last Aug. but I have heard that they are now - but I may be wrong on this.

Enjoy your trip!

 

[Allison]

Yes, they are charging $6 per checked bag.

 

[grammynelliebelle]

How far is it from the Sanford airport to WDW? TIA Grammy

 

[TheRustyScupper]

1) We have used them several times.
2) Once from Toledo to Orlando, and three times from Des Moines to Orlando.
3) They were on-time, and the planes were clean.
4) The only bad point is you pay for everything (eg. water, soda, snacks).

 

[Phrank40]

Sanford Airport to WDW-

Depends a lot on traffic, but I would estimate around an hour give or take. Mapquest has time from downtown Sanford to Lake Buena Vista at 53 minutes FWIW.

If you are getting into Sanford airport mid/late afternoon you probably want to stay off of I-4 to WDW area. After 9 in morning to early/mid afternoon probably okay on I-4, but later in the day the 417 toll road might be the way to go, basically get on it near the airport and takes you right to WDW. Cost a few dollars more but beats sitting in traffic on I-4 in downtown area when you want to be at WDW.

Flown Allegiant Air 4-5 times over past year in and out of Sanford airport. Don't think I have had any problems. Lot easier to deal with than Orlando airport.

Phrank

 

[kissy]

Bravemom, I'm in Pascagoula! I was thinking about flying Allegiant when we go to the world in March. I just need to weigh out the cost of flight and rental car vs driving! I admit that the thought of not having to drive 9 hours is very appealing to me....

 

[blessedby3]

We have flown them twice with our last time this past Dec. We had no problems with them, although I get frustrated that they only fly out of our area on Mon, Wed and Fri. Then it is only one flight per day. I am trying to figure out our Jan. trip and didnt want the kids to miss an extra day of school, but the Fri. flight that used to be in the evening is now at 1:30 meaning the kids would miss another day of school. I cant believe they are charging $6 per bag now. Last I checked it was $2 per bag- they didnt do that on our last trip. We dont buy the drinks or snacks either. Its only a 1 1/2 hour flight and the kids can last easily for that. I am watching Allegiant and hoping that SW will come out with some good fares too. We would have to drive to RDU to get the SW flight and have done that before. Allegiant also doesnt have a good change policy like SW. I know you can get credits with SW if the rates drop, but with Allegiant you cant, never anything back. This is the biggest headache of planning our Disney vacations- airfare!!

 

[AStamm]

If you are getting into Sanford airport mid/late afternoon you probably want to stay off of I-4 to WDW area. After 9 in morning to early/mid afternoon probably okay on I-4, but later in the day the 417 toll road might be the way to go, basically get on it near the airport and takes you right to WDW. Cost a few dollars more but beats sitting in traffic on I-4 in downtown area when you want to be at WDW.
Phrank

If you're driving on 417, be sure you have plenty of quarters. We flew down on Allegiant last August (loved the direct flight from Allentown and like the smaller airport at Sanford), rented a car, and headed off on 417. We had plenty of money, but not much change, and at the last toll booth we had to pull off to the side and wait for someone with change to drive by. When we drove back to the airport, we encountered someone else with the exact same problem and were more than happy to return the favor.

I have no problems with unmanned toll booths, but why there isn't a change machine accessible nearby for travelers who are unaware of the tolls still baffles me.

 

[abrownfamily]

Sounds like I am the only one who ever had a bad experience with this airline. Last year, I booked them instead of Southwest. We were to go from Portsmouth, NH to Orlando/Sanford. I booked for just before Thanksgiving. I booked the flight about 4 months early. Well, about 6 weeks before travel, I got a call that said that they were going to stop service from Portsmouth for a few months. At this rate, I could get a refund or fly Jet Blue (From Boston), with no guarantee when we would get seats or if we would all be on the same flight. With two small children, this really bugged me. We went Southwest, and paid dearly for it as all of the Internet fares were now unavailable. I would never book a flight with them again.